


Marriage is indeed a maneuvering business

by noo



Series: The Masquerade [3]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Regency, F/M, Female James T. Kirk, Genderbending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-18
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-07-24 17:38:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7517315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noo/pseuds/noo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was her eyes that had captivated him from the moment he set eyes on her portrait. Would they still be as compelling on the day he met her, the day of their wedding?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Marriage is indeed a maneuvering business

**Author's Note:**

> This is an excerpt from a much, much larger fic I have been working on for years (much to the consternation of the lovely @DianaMoon whose prompt it is). These scenes happen early on in the story with the wedding of Lord Stonehaven, Leonard McCoy to the Lady Jameson Kirk, sight unseen. 
> 
> With the FuckYeahKirk-McCoy tumblr AU prompt for their McKirkBeyond fest, I was tempted to polish up these scenes to be a part of that fest. Trust me in that the larger fic is still a long way off completion as these characters sure do like getting into adventures, but I can't resist a time to share my love of Regency and Kirk/McCoy. 
> 
> Also, yes, Scotty is not Scotty here but Monty because for the upper class males at that time it was common to address someone by their surname or title only. To address someone by a pet name or their first name is the height of intimacy, so Monty he became to Leonard.
> 
> Title is a quote from Jane Austen's _Mansfield Park_.

**Evening, 17 July 1805  
The Fox and Hounds Inn, Cotherstone, County Durham**

Leonard stretched his stockinged foot towards the fire, watching the flames dance in the grate.

"Stop being such a sour puss," Monty said as he reached forward to pour more whiskey into the glass held by Leonard. "Anyone would think you are not pleased to be marrying a lovely looking lass in the morn." Monty waved in the direction of the miniature portrait that was lying on the side table, with the bottle. The liquid within rose and fell like the waves that regularly lashed the Stonehaven harbour walls back home.

Leonard reached over to pick up the miniature that had been sent to him before he agreed to his dying father’s final wish. 

It showed a young girl on the cusp of womanhood, her face tilted slightly away from the viewer and towards the book open in her hands. Long, thick blonde hair elegantly fell to her shoulders from an intricate coiffure. It was her eyes that had caught Leonard's attention the first time he had seen it -- intensely blue and peeking back in the direction of the viewer. They were combined with her full pale pink lips that were tilted slightly up at the corner indicating a sense of mischief and knowledge that she was being watched. The combination had made Leonard realise that his father's final wish might just sit comfortably with him.

He felt the presence of Monty behind him, so he glanced up and raised an eyebrow at his friend and conspirator in drunken revels. "Thoughts, your Grace?" he asked.

"She has the Kirk nose, there is no mistaking her breeding. She has a strong chin on her too, but those lips. Ah, remember Maddie from Glasgow and what she could do with her lips? Lips just like Maddie she has." Monty wandered away and back towards the fire, lost in a memory. Abruptly he turned and Leonard tore his gaze away from the painting. "If you even dare to back out of this, ignoring how much it would dishonour your father's memory, I would gladly offer to wed the damsel. Not only is she a fair blooming English rose, the lands and money she brings will make you the envy of all the Sassenach devils. No wonder her mother kept her hidden away just for you."

Leonard laughed. "Are you forgetting that your own mother is one of those Sassenach devils? A Lennox even. Next you will be pulling out a kilt to parade around with on Hogmanay."

"Hah," Monty announced. "Just for you, this Hogmanay I shall. We are staying the next night at Riverside? That was the message you sent back to Lady Uisneach? You agreed to her kind offer? This place is adequate but there is something about a well run genteel house." Monty looked slightly disparaging around the best room the Fox and Hounds had to offer.

"Kind offer? You mean a chance for you to taste some of the finest Irish whiskey from the Kirk personal stores? Twas the real reason you agreed to travel with me." Leonard continued to sip from his glass.

"I do agree that making sure that the casks you were promised as part of your bridal gift are transported correctly back to Stonehaven was a strong inducement. You can be shoddy in your treatment of God's own drop." Monty waggled a finger in admonishment at Leonard.

"I do not, you taught me well. But if 'tis that I marry tomorrow then you must assure me that you will seek a similar fate too. You are a Duke, you have a responsibility to your lands and your people to carry on the noble line of Doohan and do not give me that balderdash about your sister's son. He is a fine lad, but you should desire your own flesh and blood and not steal Petersen's brood." Leonard finished off his drink and rose from his chair. "I shall retire for the even. It will do the McCoy's no good if I appear on the morrow under the weather."

"Fair enough," Monty agreed. "No brooding about that woman either. I said at the outset that she might be one of the great beauties, but her attention is never solely on you. This engagement pleases me greatly."

Leonard just waved airily as he walked from the room.

oOo

**Morning, 18 July 1805  
**  
Church of Saint Cuthburt, Cotherstone, County Durham

A commotion at the door to the small church caught the attention of the four men standing inside. Monty stepped back and to the side, leaving Leonard standing alone near the top of the aisle. The rector, Rhodes, smiled at him before taking his correct place. The parish clerk also slipped away to wherever his rightful place was supposed to be.

Leonard watched as the doors opened and a lady entered, her chin held high and her dress proclaiming her to still comport to the styles of a generation ago. The elaborate wig hid the colour of her hair, but Leonard was willing to bet it was as blonde as her daughter's. Lady Uisneach gestured and then Leonard had his first view of his bride to be. 

Those eyes were hidden from his view by the placement of her head and the elaborate bonnet upon it. She was uncommonly tall, taller than her mother but overall her size was pleasing to him, being as he stood taller than many of his other acquaintances. As the mother led the daughter down the aisle, a young maid slipped in through the door and stood along the back wall. When the two women reached their group, they both dropped elegant curtsies. Leonard remembering his manners, bowed in return.

"My Lord, I am Lady Uisneach and this is my daughter, the Lady Jameson," Lady Uisneach greeted him.

"My pleasure, Lady Uisneach, Lady Jameson. I am pleased to present my good friend, the Duke of Doohan." Leonard indicated Monty who bowed towards them.

The ladies once again each sank into a curtsy, murmuring, "your Grace," as they did so.

"Now that we have the pleasantries out of the way, shall we proceed, Mr Rhodes?" Lady Uisneach inquired.

"Indeed we can, my Lady. His Grace has presented the Special Licence and as such we can proceed if Lord Stonehaven and Lady Jameson would kindly step this way," the rector said in his harsh Yorkshire accent.

Leonard held out his arm to lead Lady Jameson towards the place in front of the rector. It was then, finally, that Leonard achieved his desire of seeing the face that had intrigued him. The strong chin and the Kirk nose were there just as in the painting and there were the lips that should make the upcoming evening a pleasant experience, but the eyes were lacking the merriment that the artist had captured. Here and now they were showing a little hesitation to match the delicate pink flush in her cheeks. Leonard smiled gently, hoping to relax the lady and he received a brief smile in return before the lashes were lowered and she focused on the rector in front of them and the words he was starting to speak.

Afterwards, if Leonard had been asked what was said in the church, he would have professed that it was all rather a blur and his main impression was of an uncommonly tall, lithe creature standing close to him that would be his to protect and care for.

They soon found themselves outside the church, the register signed, witnessed and, where Lady Jameson had signed her name Kirk for the final time. A notable few locals were loitering around, gawking at their finery. Lady Uisneach bade Leonard and Monty to share the carriage back to the estate to which they readily agreed.

The trip was a blessedly short journey. Monty and Lady Uisneach kept up the majority of the conversation while Lady Jameson-no-she was Lady Stonehaven now, was silent as she watched out the window. Leonard took the opportunity to study his wife further. Her features were strong, and he was pleased with her air of innocence. He considered it a blessing that they would be staying in surroundings that were comfortable to her tonight and that he would have the chance this afternoon to converse with her, help her feel at ease in his presence.

oOo

**18 July 1805  
**  
Riverside Manor, near Hury, County Durham

The wedding breakfast was not the most comfortable of meals that either man had ever partaken. Leonard discovered that the reticent woman from the church was just as reticent during the meal. She would politely eat her small portions and nod her agreement to questions asked of her by both Leonard and Monty but overall the conversation had to be held up by Monty, Leonard and Lady Uisneach. Leonard was determined to discover if the expression in the painting was an exaggeration by a talented artist or a real expression. After some not so subtle hints from Monty, Lady Uisneach arranged for Leonard to be shown the Riverside gardens by his new wife that afternoon, after a short rest period was agreed upon, of course.

Leonard spent a considerable amount of time wearing a path in the carpet as he paced back and forth across his room as he bided his time. Not assisting in his equilibrium was the knowledge that only a door away was his new wife. The house was well kept, if a little worn around the edges. It appeared from what Lady Uisneach had revealed over the breakfast that neither she nor her daughter were inclined to travel far from their house. Lady Stonehaven had no memories of the Irish family seat, as she was just a babe when they both traveled from there back to her family property here at Riverside. The eldest child, Samuel, had not been able to make it away from Ireland, although he had written a very pretty letter announcing his approval of the match, as both Monty and he were informed. The impressive Kirk family fortune had been used to bring merchants to the house, and neither woman had set foot in London since Jameson's birth.

This was a puzzle to Leonard, as his own mother would make at least one trip to London per year, and a number to Edinburgh in the same time span. To find a woman who did not seem inclined to go chasing after the latest fripperies and foibles was refreshing and made Lady Stonehaven particularly unique of his acquaintance. He was sure that once his mother took his wife under her wing that her uniqueness would change but until then he was going to make the most of it. 

When the time had finally arrived, Leonard strode purposefully out of the house and towards the Herb Garden, where he was assured that Lady Stonehaven was waiting for him.

oOo

Leonard paused as he rounded the tall hedge to take in the sight before him. Sitting on a stone bench, with a book open on her lap, was his wife. She was still dressed in the vastly fetching yellow dress from that morning. Her bonnet was as missing now as it had been at lunch until he spied it on the other side of her. The ribbons were looped around her forearm. Her thick, wavy blonde hair was pinned back and up in a high coiffure, mindful of the bonnet's positioning when it would be situated on her head. Delicate short curls fell forward over her forehead as she concentrated on her book.

The seat was in such a position as to take full advantage of the afternoon sun. It pooled over his wife, surrounding her in a warm glow and radiating warmth. Behind her was the cool green of the hedge and in front, the tall herbs in well maintained chaos. All of this was naught to the young lady it seemed, transfixed by the book in her lap. Her feet were crossed delicately at her ankles under the seat and one hand cradled the book while the other carefully turned a page.

Leonard cleared his throat quietly to announce his presence.

Lady Stonehaven straightened in her seat. Her head snapped up, a wide eyed look of surprise in her eyes. Her hands shook slightly.

“My apologies, my Lady,” Leonard said as he bowed. “I did not mean to startle you so.”

“The fault is all mine, I was too engrossed in the words of the Bard to be mindful of my surroundings.” She closed the book and placed it down on the bench.

“Ah, yes. My father did impart to me that you were fond of reading,” Leonard said as he slowly walked forward. “Now which words were so distracting that you became oblivious to my presence?” he asked as he turned the book towards himself, all the better to see the title.

“I believed a comedy was appropriate at this time,” she explained.

“A comedy is a good choice, but have you been hiding something from me, if the choice of play is anything to go by?” Leonard quietly asked, raising one eyebrow but allowing his face to soften in a smile, gently flirting and waiting to see her response. The Taming of the Shrew was an intriguing choice for a new bride.

Her lashes lowered quickly, hiding those fine, clear, expressive eyes from his view.

“Only what any good wife would while she is endeavouring to learn to cater to her husband's needs,” Lady Stonehaven said as she gracefully stood up.

Leonard had to step back out of her immediate presence. Her hands were clasped behind her back, the bonnet dangling in the slight breeze as the pair of them stood and sized each other up. Leonard likened it to perusing the horseflesh prior to the races at Ascot, except it appeared that this time the horseflesh was also sizing him up.

Lady Stonehaven was the first to break the silence as she turned on her heels and started to walk along the path. “Please join me while I take in the air.”

Leonard stepped quickly forward, bringing himself in line with his bride. She had placed the bonnet back on her head and was currently occupied in re-tying the ribbons under her chin. It now hid her eyes from his inquisitive gaze.

Lady Stonehaven revealed the history of the herbs, dating back to the Elizabethan age from whence Riverside was a noted Abbey. But like many from that time, they were dissolved and the lands given to local nobles. In this case, the nuns were forced to flee for France and the lands and the Abbey passed into the hands of the Balder family, and had remained so ever since. As they finally stepped out of the herb garden, leaving the united fragrances behind, Lady Stonehaven paused to point out the original parts of the house, her knowledge more in line with the family historian than the daughter of the house.

A glance out of the corner of her eyes had him stepping closer, but she continued her tour, taking him further away from the house. They continued in a slow amble around a well-trod path. 

It took them past the house and then down towards the river that gave the manor it's name. All the while Leonard was slowly and gently coaxing more information and speech from his wife.

He offered his arm to her when she directed him off the path and towards the river bank. He felt the slight fluttering in the gentle touch of fingers on his arm. Before she could fully withdraw her hand and clasp it behind her back with her other hand, he took his opportunity and clasped it himself. There was a quick sideways glance towards him and then she was staring out towards the river, ignoring that he still had hold of her hand. At a flash of teeth as she nervously bit her bottom lip, Leonard slowly lifted up the hand towards his mouth. Not once did he take his eyes off her face. The teeth were now worrying that bottom lip, making the soft pink colour become darker with each little bite. As his breath ghosted over her gloves, her eyelids closed over those intense blue eyes. She dropped her head slightly forward as he pressed a soft kiss to her hand, just above her knuckles. The fine tremble in her fingers gave away her inexperience but there was a surprising surety in the grip when he had kissed her.

Then she was opening her eyes and glancing at him sideways, like as in her portrait, but without the mischievous hint. Her plump, reddened lower lip was too tempting to Leonard. He stepped closer, caging her up against the tree and with his free hand he gently tilted up her chin so that she was looking directly up at him. She was uncommonly tall for her age, and Leonard was glad that he would not have far to bend to touch his lips to hers. 

Initially he had only wanted to speak to her, encouraging her to relax within his presence but as she did so, and the more he watched her, the more he wanted to taste what was now his and no others.

"My Lady," he said quietly.

"Jameson," she replied, offering him the use of her first name.

"Jameson," he whispered into her lips as he pressed forward and slowly kissed her for the first time. His eyes drifted shut as he gave himself over to just feeling the gentle kiss. The feel of her gloved fingers securely gripping his as if she was afraid to let go. The downy softness of the underside of her chin and the slight press back of her lips. He opened his eyes as he moved away. His hand lingering for a moment on her chin before he was stepping back. Those eyes were staring at him and her chest was rising and falling more rapidly than he had seen previously. He wanted nothing more than to step forward again and press in close to her and taste of her more deeply. His brain slowly won the battle over his desires as he took in her innocent expression.

"If you were a lady I was escorting, I would offer my apologies for my forward behaviour, but as you are now my wife I can only offer that I hope you found my attentions as pleasant as I found yours?" Leonard asked.

Jameson lowered her eyes before she was peeping up at him through her lashes and there was that look that he had been trying to find all day.

"Possibly," she said before she slipped out from his reach and swiftly stepped up the bank and back into view of the house.

Leonard could only laugh as he followed her back into the sunlight and what was, he was sure, carefully watching eyes.

oOo


End file.
